Gangadikal Peak
Rolling shola grassland near the three-river source, with the Kudremukh massif on the horizon.
Gangadikal is a grassland-and-shola climb inside Kudremukh National Park, close to Gangamoola where the Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi all rise. It is open country almost the whole way, which makes it beautiful and completely unshaded in equal measure — the Kudremukh massif stays in view for most of the walk.
What to do here
- Trek the grassland ridge from Bhagavathi Nature Camp
- Look across to Kudremukh and Gangamoola
- Start early for the cloud below the ridge
The route that shows you the watershed: from the ridge you can see three river basins dividing.
Travel tips
Permit and forest department guide compulsory, booked through Bhagavathi Nature Camp or the online portal — this route shares the park's daily cap. Start early; cloud builds over the grassland by mid-morning. Carry 2.5 L of water, a windproof layer and your photo ID.
Please note
Do: book ahead — the daily cap is shared across the park's routes. Do: keep to the guide's line across the grass; these slopes erode badly where people fan out. Don't: attempt it in the monsoon — rainfall here is among the highest in India. Don't: light fires on the grassland. Don't: wash or bathe at the river source.
Combine your trip
Places near Gangadikal Peak
Kadambi Falls
A thirty-foot fall through rock inside Kudremukh National Park, right beside the road.
TrekKurinjal Peak
Seven kilometres each way from Bhagavathi camp, through rainforest into grassland.
WaterfallHanuman Gundi Falls
A rock-cut plunge inside Kudremukh park
DamLakya Dam
The mine's old tailings dam, now a still green sheet of water under the Kudremukh grasslands.